Promising sprinter I‘ll Have A Bit is chasing a maiden Group 1 win when she lines up in the field for the 2018 $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Chris Parnham, above, will ride I’ll Have A Bit in the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
The John McArdle trained I’ll Have A Bit is one of fifteen final acceptors for the feature sprint of the 2018 Ascot Racing Carnival and connections are expecting another honest performance from the mare.
I’ll Have A Bit’s only appearance at Group 1 level resulted in a third behind Santa Ana Lane and Missrock in the $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville during the 2018 Adelaide Autumn Carnival in May.
The four year old mare has finished third at her next two starts in the Listed $150,000 Absolut Stakes (1000m) down the Flemington straight on Kennedy Oaks Day and in the Listed $120,000 Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on November 17.
Stable spokesman Brady McArdle is hoping the form around four times Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane will shine through when she takes on proven Group 1 performers Malaguerra and Voodoo Lad as well as last year’s Winterbottom Stakes winner Viddora.
“The Santa Ana Lane form franks everything she will be up against in the Winterbottom Stakes,” Brady McArdle told racing.com.
“We are confident that she will be very hard to beat.”
Reports from Perth suggest that I’ll Have A Bit has settled into Neville Parnham’s stables without a fuss and the mare will be out for a stretch of the legs at Ascot on Tuesday morning to round off her Winterbottom Stakes preparation.
“She’s settled perfectly, as good as you can ask for,” said stable representative Brady McArdle.
“She’s over at Neville Parnham’s place, he’s reporting back to John (McArdle) every day and he’s quite happy with her.
“John’s flying there today and she will do a bit of fast work Tuesday morning. It will just be a bit of maintenance work to remove the cobwebs after the flight.”
“If they are running along in front, she always hits the line hard.”
“She’s quite an exciting mare. She’s got Group 1 form, we saw that in the Group 1 Goodwood.”
Chris Parnham gets the ride again on I’ll Have A Bit and the pair have winning form together when they combined to win the Group 2 $500,000 Euclase Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville in the lead up to the Goodwood.
I’ll Have A Bit has been marked at $12 for the Winterbottom Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au while Viddora heads the market order at $3.
Betting for the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3 Viddora, $5.50 Enticing Star, $9 Malaguerra, $10 Runson, Voodoo Lad, $12 I’ll Have A Bit, $14 Dainty Tess, $15 Durendal, $17 Ashlor, $18 Malibu Style, $34 Valour Road, $41 Belter, Profit Street, $61 Seannie, $81 Rebel King.
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